The Trouble with Lemonade

It has been said that when life gives you lemons, you are supposed to make lemonade.
This may be the most difficult statement to follow through with, or at least it feels like it is for me.

Over the past couple of weeks, I have come to realize that the whole "making lemonade with lemons" thing is not possible without sugar... but where and how does one find sugar? Is she still writing metaphorically, or...? And what does it mean to need sugar in your life?
Well, I'll show you.

There are (generally) three types of people in this world: Pessimists, Optimists, and
"Pessoptimists" -- and yes, that last one is an Amanda-ism.

The Pessimists look at how they wish life could be and tend to spend most of their time thinking about the things that are going wrong in their lives, which has the tendency to make them unhappy and overwhelmed quite easily.
The Optimists see things the way that life is and most of the time are able to take the good from the bad, and lead a decently happy life full of positive perspectives.
The "Pessoptimists" are the ones who weigh both negatives and positives of a situation, which results in them choosing positivity 50% of the time, and negativity the other 50%.

To the pessimists -
Recall the story in the Bible of the woman, her son, and Elijah in 1 Kings 17:7-16. In this story, Elijah asks the woman to make him some bread to which she replies that she only has enough flour and oil to last one meal before she and her son die of starvation. It appears as though Elijah ignored the woman and instructs her to go home and make the loaf for him anyway. She did so, and was able to make enough bread for not only Elijah, but both her and her son as well. Elijah promised her that her jars of flour and oil would not run dry until the Lord sent rain to the land again.

The woman was able to see God's awesome grace and glory through the never-ending supply of flour and oil, because she chose to believe in the best of what Elijah told her. Though she did not know that her jars would not empty for a long time before she made Elijah the loaf of bread, she trusted that he knew something she did not.

The constant supply of flour and oil for the woman, is what the Bible is to us. There are so many verses of encouragement, if you know where to look. God's hope for you is that while you are being dumped on with the lemons that life has for you, that you will turn to Him and His word for comfort, trusting that He has a plan for your suffering.

To the optimists -
God has blessed you with one of the most awesome gifts of all - the positive perspective. You have the gift to seek out the good in most situations. That being said, it is important to remember that not everyone has that easy of a time with life. Use your gift to speak to others, reminding them that the struggles they are facing are a part of God's master plan (Romans 8:28).

To the pessoptimists -
It is crucial to go to God's word when you are faced with adversity. The lemons can overwhelm you easily (not speaking from experience or anything), so try to befriend an optimist to help point you in the right direction (the Bible) when you are not sure where to turn.

My purpose in writing this post is to encourage those who are being drowned by lemons this week, month, year, etc.. God has a huge schematic of our lives up in Heaven, which includes the pits we fall into, or the trials we face. Thankfully, we have a sort of instruction manual that tells us how to get out of the pits and times of trial; this manual is our Bible. The verses below are the ones that stick out the most to me when I think of "instructions" on overcoming adversity, and seeking guidance in times of trouble.

Phillippians 4:10-13
"I rejoiced greatly in the Lord that at last you renewed your concern for me. Indeed, you were concerned, but you had no opportunity to show it. I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength."

James 1:2-4
"Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything."

Psalm 16:8
"I keep my eyes always on the Lord. With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken."

1 Peter 5:7
"Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you."

So whether you are a pessimist, optimist, or a pessoptimist, I hope that you have been encouraged. Remember that God is on your side, and He is rooting for you.

I hope you have a great week.